Monday, September 19, 2016

More gains for the AfD

More good news from Germany. The Alternative for Germany party has made a breakthrough in Berlin, gaining 13% of the vote. That's a terrific result in what is one of the most left leaning parts of the country.

Angela Merkel's CDU slumped to only 19% of the vote and is likely to be dumped from Berlin's coalition government:

A year before a national election, the result is set to raise pressure on Merkel and deepen rifts in her conservative camp, with more sniping expected from her CSU allies in Bavaria.

The CSU's Bavarian finance minister Markus Soeder was quick to call it the "second massive wake-up call" in two weeks.

"A long-term and massive loss in trust among traditional voters threatens the conservative bloc," he told the Bild daily, adding Merkel's right-left national coalition had to win back support by changing course on its immigration policy.

Why would traditional voters continue to support Merkel's CDU when she is committed to open borders and globalisation? How can traditional Germany survive such a policy?